SpaceX plans next Starship megarocket launch for November 18

SpaceX is preparing for the next major test of its Starship megarocket, scheduled for November 18, if all goes according to plan. It will be the sixth test flight for the massive rocket after its first launch in April 2023, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports, citing Space.

"Objectives include the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, and testing a suite of heatshield experiments and maneuvering changes for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean," says SpaceX publication.

Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. The stainless-steel vehicle consists of two fully reusable elements: a huge booster called Super Heavy and a 50 m-tall upper stage known as Starship, or simply Ship.

SpaceX aims to eventually land both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft directly on the launch mount, accelerating their inspection, refurbishment, and reflight process.

The company believes that Starship's combination of power and efficiency will revolutionize spaceflight, helping humanity colonize Mars and achieve a variety of other bold exploration feats.

During the fifth test launch of the Starship rocket with the Super Heavy booster in October, SpaceX succeeded in returning the booster stage to land for the first time. The Super Heavy booster, equipped with 33 engines, separated from the rocket after using most of its fuel and came back for a controlled landing beside its launch tower, which caught the the booster with its "chopstick" arms.